By Katie Patrick
By the time you read this article, Mothers Day will have already passed, yet the joys and demands of motherhood continue. In addition to the dishes, cleaning, and cooking, as a relatively new mom of three little girls, I’m also discovering that event planning falls into this list of responsibilities, making sure birthday parties and activities are well planned and prepared for.
My partner in the chaos is, of course, my husband. He is often the one who runs to the store at night when we realize we’re out of diapers or milk. He cooks most of the meals during the week so that I can be with the girls after daycare, and then there’s the maintenance of our home and yard, proofreading my articles for the Southern Nebraska Register, and because we’re not busy enough, we recently got chickens.
My parents are quick to step in when we need help, either with the girls or the yard. My mom prompts me to plan ahead and shop for parties and events, or does it for me. And for the past couple of years, we have been blessed with two in-home nannies to care for our girls. The support system we have is incredible and I thank God every day for the people He has placed in our lives.
But then as I am giving thanks, my mind quickly and frequently goes to the single moms at the St. Gianna Home, knowing that many are alone and without a husband to accompany them. While CSS helps to meet their need for food, shelter, and clothing and offers on-site counseling as well as nutrition, financial, spiritual, and parenting classes, we also take time to have fun and celebrate the gift of motherhood.
A few days before Mothers Day, several CSS staff members came together to make Mothers Day gift bags for all of the moms at St. Gianna’s. If you recall from one of our recent publications at the end of 2023, we had 36 children at St. Gianna’s, including many newborns! It continues to be a full, bustling home with the sound of children coming from the rooms, and often running through the halls.
Getting staff together to make the gift bags was a lot of fun because the activity invited CSS staff who don’t regularly interact with the children or mothers at St. Gianna’s to take a break from their own programs and schedules. The activity also reminded us that it’s part of building and sustaining a culture of life. While society tells women that they are alone if they choose life, the Church very clearly demonstrates through her actions that a woman is not alone when she chooses life.
While it’s true that the mothers we serve at St. Gianna’s struggle with the lack of traditional support systems, such as a husband, mother, father, or brothers and sisters, their role as mothers is highly valued, recognized and strengthened—not only by the services we provide, but in the love that we share. In fact, moms at St. Gianna’s are surrounded by so much love and support that it can sometimes be quite the task to manage!
But at the same time, we at CSS and the mothers at St. Gianna’s are truly humbled by how much people give and how many prayers are being answered each and every day. From funding for playground renovations and equipment, to volunteer cleaners and donated minivans, the Holy Spirit is on the move at St. Gianna’s Home. We see it daily and never take it for granted.
So even though Mothers Day has passed, the month of May continues with the celebration of our Blessed Mother. My prayers will especially be with all of the mothers reading this article – and to the countless family, friends, neighbors and strangers who support us, and in the words of St. Teresa of Calcutta: “If you ever feel distressed during your day, call upon our Lady, just say this simple prayer: ‘Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.’ I must admit, this prayer has never failed me.”
